The present invention relates to a front structure of an automotive vehicle, and in particular, relates to a front structure in which prevention of dragging of a pedestrian can be properly improved with a plate member that is provided between a bumper face and a shroud lower when the vehicle hits the pedestrian obliquely from the front.
Generally, an automotive vehicle has a shroud that is provided for attaching a radiator or condenser. The shroud comprises a shroud upper, shroud lower, and a pair of shroud sides, which is formed in a rectangular shape, and the shroud is supported at a vehicle front portion behind a front bumper. A plate member that is made from synthetic resin is provided in front of the shroud lower, which may prevent dragging of a pedestrian by tripping legs of the pedestrian at the vehicle hitting the pedestrian.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-1358, for example, discloses a front structure of a vehicle in which the plate member is provided in front of the shroud lower so as to extend over substantially a whole width of the shroud lower, so the pedestrian's legs may be tripped up.
According to the front structure of a vehicle disclosed in the above-described patent publication, since the plate member that has substantially the same length as that of the shroud lower in a vehicle width direction is provided, the prevention of the pedestrian dragging against a vehicle frontal crash may be properly achieved. However, since there is another case where the vehicle hits the pedestrian obliquely from the front or the like, not straightly from the front, there is a demand that the prevention of the pedestrian dragging could be properly achieved for any types of vehicle hitting the pedestrian in order to further improve a safety of the pedestrian further.
Herein, it may be considered that the length of the plate member is further extended so as to enlarge the prevention range of the pedestrian dragging. In this case, however, since both-side ends of the plate member extend outward beyond both-side ends of the shroud lower, a support rigidity of the extended end portions of the plate member could not be strong enough to properly receive the crash impact (load) acting from the front. As a result, there is a concern that these extended end portions would deform toward the back of the shroud sides, so that the prevention of the pedestrian dragging could not be achieved against the vehicle crash case where the vehicle hits the pedestrian obliquely from the front.